Lines Of Battle lands the UAE Derby Lines Of Battle (15/2) landed the UAE Derby Sponsored By Al Naboodah at Meydan despite edging to his right close home. There was a one-two for the Irish challengers in the extended nine furlong Group Two with David Marnane's Elleval chasing home the Aidan O'Brien-trained winner. The unbeaten Secret Number was last to break and forced to race at the rear as Law Enforcement and Lines Of Battle emerged at the front of the pack once the field had settled down. The pace didn't appear to be a strong one with Snowboarder notably pulling hard for his head as he was forced to race out wide. William Buick eventually opted to give him his head and he hit the front at around the halfway stage and he was still at the head of affairs turning for home. Both Law Enforcement and Lines Of Battle had come under pressure as the tempo quickened into the straight but the latter found plenty for Ryan Moore's urgings to lay down a renewed challenge. Having hit the front, he began to drift to his right, opening the door for Elleval who had been trapped in a pocket on the rail, but Moore kept the son of War Front going forward to claim the prize. The unlucky horse of the race was third home Secret Number who was forced to challenge very wide and about eight lengths off the pace at the top of the straight as a result. The Raven's Pass colt flew home once out in the clear but the bird had already flown. O'Brien said: "He doesn't like being in front too soon, but he quickened well and stayed well in the end. Ryan gave him a great ride." Victory in the Group Two event earned Lines Of Battle significant points under the qualification criteria for the Kentucky Derby, and O'Brien confirmed: "Absolutely, that (Kentucky Derby) was the plan coming here." Moore said: "It was a farce of a race, they went so slow and I was saying to Hughesie (Richard Hughes, on Law Enforcement) down the back that this was too easy and one of the problems was that my horse is idle. "But he'd won around Dundalk and had a US pedigree, experience of travelling and the draw helped."
